


Put Your Hands All Up On Me

by gunboots



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Bullying (light), Canon Compliant, Crack, Friendship/Love, Hyungwon hates (loves) it, I Don't Even Know, I'm Sorry, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mentioned GOT7 Ensemble, Miscommunication, Multi, Mutual Pining, Shownu is hot and confusing, Side Jackson/Jooheon, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 12:16:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20778431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gunboots/pseuds/gunboots
Summary: There is a tension between them, like a constant undercurrent of electricity just humming below the surface. Hyunwoo gravitates to Hyungwon—even if it is to smack his arm with a laugh or to get him into a headlock, he isn’t subtle. It’s frustrating, he’s clearly attracted to Hyungwon, and yet, he clearly won’t seem toDOanything about it except to tease him.At least flirt with me properly.Hyungwon laments internally as Hyunwoo throws him over his shoulder, carrying him off like a prize he’d just won.





	Put Your Hands All Up On Me

**Author's Note:**

> I guess I'm just posting Monsta X fic on main now??? Listen. Look, listen, look and listen—I've watched too many compilation vids of Shownu teasing/bullying Hyungwon and I just. There's a lot to unpack there but also I'm trash ok. Thanks to DizzyTango for looking over this real fast and assuring me it wasn't completely a mess. This is self-sufficient but then again so is like everything I do so you know, live and let live. 
> 
> Lightly beta'd I'm sure there are mistakes abound whoops. Anyways title is from "Kiss and Make Up" by Black Pink and Dua Lipa because I have a playlist for Showhyung and one of the few songs on there NOT MX related happened to be playing at the time ok.

It’s not that Hyungwon is bad at doing promotions, per se.

It’s just that there are people better at it than him.

Usually, he’s got a full schedule that he can get out of it, some kind of excuse so that someone like Minhyuk or Jooheon goes instead. He’s not awkward, just has to be in the right mindset for it and more often than not…he isn’t. Everyone always assumes since he’s got so many high profile side-hobbies under his belt that he’d be good at this sort of thing—he really, really isn’t. (Good DJs don’t talk too much and models do less of it, so he’s not even sure where everyone gets off assuming.)

Besides, he’s the worst at variety shows. He’s bad at lying, bad at faking enthusiasm for the camera and bad at faking interest in things he’s not interested in. This was all going to be a set-up for disaster, or at least, boring television—which is what he told Starship several times, pleaded it even. Because he loves their new album, he wants them to do well, and he doesn’t want it to be _**HIS** _fault if it tanks.

“_You’re going to be going with Hyunwoo, just playoff his chemistry_.” Was all he’d gotten back as a response, as if it solved all his problems. It didn’t. He can’t tell if the managers could even grasp how much more terrible circumstances could be because of that. The two of them weren’t the best at small talk, neither of them was very MC-like.

Hyungwon spent a good amount of time contemplating faking an illness the night before. He’d been close to settling on just exactly how to fake food poisoning without pissing off Kihyun when Hyunwoo, the dick that he is, not Shownu the imposter he plays at, had grabbed him around the middle and dragged him into his bed. Hyungwon couldn’t bother fighting him off—Hyunwoo had wrapped himself vice-like around Hyungwon’s arms and legs. Hyungwon hadn’t even gotten a chance to brush his teeth yet.

“_If I have to go, you have to._” Because again, Hyunwoo is a dick, but he’s a dick that’s known Hyungwon for a long, long time and so he knows just how to deal with him. Hyunwoo, only more jacked now than he has ever been in his life, didn’t even bother to wait for Hyungwon’s reaction, he just pulled the covers around both of them as Jooheon laughed and crooned sweetly: “_Goodnight Hyungs_.”

Hyungwon had spent a fitful night trying to sleep trapped in the furnace that was Hyuwoo and his dumb, giant pectorals poking his back.

The fact that he’s sitting upright in his chair, attempting at some form of a smile for the cameras in front of him, should have been admired._** See,** _he thinks spitefully, trapped in his uncomfortable office chair and staring out into the void of the studio, _**See I tried, didn’t I?**_

No one has really said much to him besides the initial greetings and a few pointed questions about how their album was going. He is aware he may be coming off a little sullen, but he’d rather that than the actual exhaustion he feels. If he’s intimidating then it’s even better, anything so that he can be physically there but not mentally—let him be wallpaper or a trinket than an active partner in conversation.

Particularly if the conversation is about Hyunwoo, which it has been for literally the past twenty minutes. It’s not hard to talk about Hyunwoo per se, they’re friends, after all, it’s just weird when it’s other people talking about him and expecting Hyungwon to agree. Especially when it’s clear everyone else is obsessed with Shownu, not Hyunwoo. Hyungwon doesn’t care, either way, he’s just not about to channel precious, limited energy into joining in the animated discussion of how great Shownu would be as a boyfriend.

Which, _**HA**_.

Hyunwoo can barely string a sentence together around a girl, let alone compose himself long enough to ask one out. He’s clumsy, makes bad awkward jokes, and can barely maintain eye-contact. Hyunwoo was not projecting some ‘shy, vulnerable’ type at all—he was just that bad at dealing with girls. Hyungwon still doesn’t know why since he’s sure Hyunwoo has had girlfriends before. (Hyunwoo in some weird attempt at bonding had told him about his dating life during their trainee days, even though Hyungwon never actually asked.) Hyungwon can’t help but smirk just the littlest bit as he drinks the tea placed in front of him.

If only they knew.

“Shownu-ssi is so gentle, he’s like the dependable boyfriend-type.” One of the female hosts croons into her mike. Hyunwoo flushes suitably, fidgets in his chair and glances away. It drives the other female hosts wild, all of them smitten with the image of Monsta X’s leader as some gentle giant.

Hyungwon continues to sip his tea pointedly, keeping his face blank as he stares into space. They really should have gotten someone else to do this variety show with him, someone who could have played along with all of this. As it was, Hyungwon was so sorely tempted to point out their ‘gentle giant’ had literally barricaded him in his bed to keep him from running away last night.

Somehow, he doubts that’ll go over well with any of them.

“Hyungwon-ssi, don’t you think that Shownu-ssi is handsome?” One of the hosts asks a stately woman who reminded Hyungwon of a strict auntie until she spent five minutes recounting Shownu’s abs. Hyungwon blinks as the panel swivel in their chairs to face him. He only has a few precious seconds to react. Hyunwoo is giving him a look from across the table that he doesn’t acknowledge.

Hyungwon beams at them, putting down his mug like he wasn’t just caught sleeping with his eyes open, as if he had been anticipating all this sudden attention this whole time.

“Shownu-hyung is my ideal type.” He confides, attempting a dramatic pause when he’s trying to think fast. The panel explodes into excitement, Hyungwon keeps the smile on his face, nodding along amicably to whatever is said his way. His expression is serene as he recycles some answers from a previous radio show: “_Oh hyung is so manly isn’t he? Monsta X is so lucky to have such a handsome leader. And he’s so talented, such a good dancer._”

Hyunwoo doesn’t bother to hide the way his lips thin from the cameras, arms crossing in a stern gesture. Hyungwon just raises his mug, goes back for another drink as the panel takes his input and runs with it, excitedly discussing Shownu without him. He even makes sure to tilt it just so in a mockery of a toast, Hyunwoo’s scowl deepens as Hyungwon takes a drink.

Mission accomplished.

*

  
Hyunwoo has him in a headlock barely a minute after they’re finished shooting.

They’ve gotten to the point that Hyunwoo doesn’t even have to give excuses anymore, he just does what he wants. Hyungwon bears it like he always does, putting up the bare minimum of resistance because he wasn’t one to fight the inevitable. At one point in time, Hyungwon drove men like Hyunwoo crazy for different reasons.

He misses those days. At least he had fun in those days.

“That’s so sweet—you two are so close!” Hyungwon can’t see much besides blurred shapes in his periphery—regardless, it’s not hard to pick out the voices of the same panelists that were swooning over Hyunwoo just moments earlier.

**_How. _**Hyungwon thinks desperately, at the pressure around his neck. _**How was this considered close?**_

“Something about Hyungwon.” Hyunwoo agrees, grip tightening just the littlest bit, not enough to seriously hurt him, just enough to be a dick about it. “Something about Hyungwon just makes me want to tease him.”

Hyunwoo’s adoring audience makes cooing noises like it’s all some adorable display of brotherly affection. Hyungwon personally thinks this confirms the theory that everyone in the entertainment industry was insane.

“You’re so rough in your love—but what else can we expect from Monsta X?”

_**Seriously.** _Hyungwon thinks, _**Are you serious right now.**_

“Uh, oh, um—thank you?”

Hyungwon chuckles, knowing that Hyunwoo can only feel it in his grip even though no one else can see it. Really, even around women their parents’ age, Hyunwoo got tongue-tied?

“We love each other very much.” Hyunwoo states, menacing in a way only Hyungwon can pick up on. Hyungwon feels a pinch in his side.

Alright, he deserved that one.

*

Hyungwon is used to being the source of '_rough brotherly love_' as Kihyun called it (asshole), but what really translated to something that was probably a bullying victim. Long ago it was decided that someone else would have to take the role since it was usually given to the maknae but something about even playfully teasing Changkyun felt awkward. No.Mercy was too close to all of them then, it was the last thing anyone wanted to bring up when they’d just gotten past it all.

Jooheon was considered but then dismissed if only because he got a bit too sulky and took it a bit too personally. Minhyuk got out of it because even with his happy and energetic persona, he tended to retaliate back, surprisingly spiteful. Kihyun got out of it cause he did most of the cooking (again, asshole) so naturally, it fell on Hyungwon's shoulders to bear it.

"Think of it this way, you're helping to make yourself more relatable." Hyunwoo sounds like a leader, does his best to make it sound like a noble undertaking. Hyungwon takes in the death-grip Hyunwoo has on his shoulder and frowns.

**_Just say you want to touch me and be done with it._ **He thinks, unimpressed. He's not as oblivious as Hyunwoo believes, knows who would be doing the majority of the rough-housing, in the first place. Hyungwon's special like that.

"Do I even get a choice." He's tired and this is all bullshit, but whatever, group harmony. Besides, he knows that it'll more than likely dissolve into in-fighting anyway. They all rile one another up, no one person was ever going to be the receiver of it all when they're all just a little too rough when they play fight, just a little too sensitive about it. Personally, his money is on either Jooheon or Hoseok to join him in his misery soon enough.

"Not really," Hyunwoo admits, smirking just the littlest bit. Hyungwon fights the urge to openly scoff—straight men were the worst.

"Then why _**ASK**_, you don't need my permission Hyung." Hyungwon is skirting the line at blatant disrespect but he figures he gets a pass, everyone else seems to.

Hyunwoo shrugs like the action is answer enough.

(In hindsight, it really was.)

*

The point is, they’ve all moved on...all of them, except Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo touches him a lot. They all touch each other a lot, they’re a bit too into the skinship part of it all—it probably unnerves some people but none of them actually care about that.

It’s how they express affection, actions are a lot easier for them than words are. They’re not ashamed of openly cuddling in a pile on the floor, of holding full conversations with other idols from other groups—sometimes even forcing members of Seventeen into their pile.

Hyunwoo though touches him differently than the others. Looks at him differently too. Especially whenever Hyungwon is dolled up and in chokers, it’s laughable how quickly Hyunwoo has to swoop in to do something to him, anything to him. It’d be flattering if it all wasn’t so pre-school. No matter how much work the stylists put in to make him look beautiful, there’s Shownu-hyung ready to trap him in a headlock minutes later seemingly unaffected.

There is a tension between them, like a constant undercurrent of electricity just humming below the surface. Hyunwoo gravitates to Hyungwon—even if it is to smack his arm with a laugh or to get him into a headlock, he isn’t subtle. It’s frustrating, he’s clearly attracted to Hyungwon, and yet, he clearly won’t seem to _**DO** _anything about it except to tease him

_**At least flirt with me properly.**_ Hyungwon laments internally as Hyunwoo throws him over his shoulder, carrying him off like a prize he’d just won. Jooheon and Minhyuk trailing behind him and filming the entire time as Hyunwoo makes his way to the hotel pool.

Traitors.

To the surprise of no one, Hyunwoo tosses Hyungwon in, before throwing himself in after with a whoop. He manages to ‘accidentally’ smack his leg against Hyungwon’s thigh. Hyungwon, eye-sight murky from the sudden crisp cerulean of the hotel pool, blinded by the sunlight, thinks that maybe this is the most appropriate metaphor for the both of them. He coughs up chlorine with a flat look on his face, his bangs hanging in his eyes. Hyunwoo swims in front of him, pushing his hair out of his face, wet workout tank clinging to his body—just so stupidly attractive that it makes Hyungwon want to scream.

Hyunwoo splashes him, eyes crinkled in delight, completely at home in the water, sunlight glistening over his dumb, wonderful muscles. Hyungwon feels like a drowned rat in comparison, his silk blouse ruined and sticking to his arms like seaweed.

“You look like a zombie more than a merman.” Hyunwoo snorts, chuckling as Minhyuk and Jooheon continue to take pictures. Hyungwon spitefully splashes him, aware that the retaliation that Hyunwoo would enact would be swift and punishing.

He’s almost instantly met with a face full of water back, strong enough it makes him wobble.

At this rate, they’d be in their forties before Hyunwoo would even _**THINK** _to make a move.

*

Looking back, Hyungwon probably should have finessed it a little better, should have maybe come up with some sort of plan. A lot of should have, could have, would haves—it takes two people to be in...whatever the two of them are...not all the blame is on him. Besides, Hyungwon was exhausted, recovering from a summer cold, and on principle isn’t at his best at five in the morning. (What kind of person wakes someone up at five am on their only day off to look at the sunrise in the first place, Hyungwon knows what sunrises look like already.)

“We have no schedule till noon Hyunwoo-hyung, can’t you bring someone else with you?” Hyungwon rasps, willing the universe to just stop spinning around him. He’s resting his head on the palm of his hand, curling into himself and praying dearly that Hyunwoo will leave already. “Why me.”

“You walk with Changkyun-ah by the river all the time.” Hyunwoo argues, and if it sounds a little put out by how much resistance Hyungwon is having to his idea then that’s on him. Hyungwon can’t even begin to comprehend what is going on in Hyunwoo’s mind. The closest Hyungwon can decipher from this whole annoying affair is that it almost sounds like Hyunwoo is jealous...which, Hyungwon can’t even begin to pick apart.

“Yeah, at night.” Hyungwon argues back, eyes shut even as he can feel Hyunwoo’s gaze burning in his periphery. He both despises and is grateful for Jooheon’s sudden overnight stay at the studio. This is probably the most direct way Hyunwoo has asked him on a (not) date. “After dinner when we’re both awake.”

“This is better than at night, come on Hyungwon-ah, I’ll buy you breakfast.”

The idea of food so early makes him sick. Under any other circumstance, he’d probably have gone along with it with minimal complaint. Under any other circumstance, maybe Hyungwon would be a little flattered about all of this. Under any other circumstance maybe it’d even be romantic—but its five am and Hyungwon is so bone-tired, he can barely keep his eyes straight.

Instead, Hyungwon blinks past the sleep crusted in his eyelids and levels Hyunwoo with the flattest look imaginable: “Most guys would just give me flowers or at least attempt to seduce me—they don’t just annoy me to going along with a date.”

Hyunwoo, dumb hot Hyunwoo in his muscle tank, backwards cap on, and hands already raised to shake him awake freeze. He blinks back, trying to comprehend what Hyungwon just said. Hyungwon, realizing that he indeed just said what he said, tries to not let his panic show.

There...there were probably better ways of expressing annoyance than just...calling out his leader, not to mention his friend like that.

"...What?” Hyunwoo manages, after a painfully awkward beat of silence. “What did you say?”

"I said, you're going to do it—just do it already." Hyungwon continues as if he hadn't ended an armistice that had lasted for years, since their trainee days even. He's got experience with this kind of thing, but usually, the guys in question have slept with him by now, not just dithered around and kept going because they were too painfully ignorant of their feelings like this. Hyunwoo is a good person usually—he’s awkward, shy, and tries his best even when everyone laughs at him. He’s also kind of a dick in a way Hyungwon (sometimes finds hot) supports most of the time—or at least he did. Everyone has their limits, his is here at five am. “You want to ask me on a date, then just ask me.”

He turns on his side, pulls his blanket back of his shoulders and waits. He has the distinct image of Hyunwoo finally, finally reaching down, pulling back Hyungwon’s covers and kissing him like he knows they’ve both wanted. (It’s five am, he’s allowed to indulge in whatever the hell he wants). He hears movement, heart thudding in his ears as he feels and hears Hyunwoo getting close—

—Disappointment fills him when he hears footsteps fall away from his bed, the quiet click of a door being closed behind him.

Hyungwon lets out the breath he’d been holding in and tries not to focus too much on the feeling of rejection sitting cold in his stomach.

*

Hyungwon wakes up to someone opening the door a second time with a loud flourish, it makes him recoil with a grimace.

"You're going to sleep your beauty away," Kihyun calls out from outside the curtain of his eyelids.

"And I'd still be prettier than you." Hyungwon returns in a drawl, death-grip on the comforter.

The way Kihyun physically body slams him barely a second later is expected, predictable, and painful.

For the second time that day, he's not surprised but he is disappointed.

"You're becoming unoriginal Kihyuunie." He wheezes under the fucker's bony elbows. He still refuses to open his eyes.

"Why mess with what works?"

*

"You _**BROKE** _Hyunwoo-hyung." Minhyuk and Kihyun look delighted as they hiss at him in whispers like they’re all schoolgirls in a cafeteria. Hyungwon regards them with a raised brow, he’s offbeat again so he’s not exactly doing well himself. He wipes the sweat on his forehead with a towel, grimacing when he realizes that oh right, he forgot to remove his eyeliner earlier.

"What makes you think I did anything?” He doubts Hyunwoo has said anything, especially not to Minhyuk or Kihyun. Hoseok if anyone, but Hoseok is currently trying to trap Changkyun in a sweaty hug so he doubts it. Hyungwon for his part has not done anything but arrive to practice.

“Because I saw him running from your room when I got up to make breakfast earlier.” Kihyun says, squinting at him. “You must have done something.”

“How dare you blame me, the victim.” Hyungwon doesn’t bother denying it, taking the time to try and wipe up the remainder of eyeliner that somehow escaped him earlier. “Hyunwoo-hyung is the one constantly bullying me.”

“We all bully each other—this is different.” Hyungwon is not comfortable with how close Minhyuk is getting to the truth. Especially given how Hyunwoo didn’t seem to even be aware of his own behavior till that morning. Hyungwon tosses his towel Minhyuk’s way—satisfied when he barely dodges, shrieking as it hits the floor next to him. “How dare you, my best friend do this to me—”

“—I could ask you two questions too you know.” Hyungwon fires back, dodging when Minhyuk tosses his dirty towel back at him. “You said you got up early to make breakfast but when I got up there was nothing left—who’d you make breakfast for?”

“Not our fault you’re lazy and you missed out.” Kihyun says, even though he’s flushed at being called out. “You snooze, you lose.”

“You sure you didn’t just make breakfast for only one other per—”

“—Hey, break’s over.” Hyunwoo interrupts from the front, all Shownu in stance and cadence. Hyungwon can’t help the displeasure on his face. He usually appreciates Hyunwoo’s focus but right now, it’s the last thing he wants to see. Hyunwoo doesn’t even seem to be looking at him, Hyungwon fights the urge to get his towel and throw it _**HIS** _way instead.

He straightens, relishes in the cracking that goes up his spine at a particularly good stretch, and faces ahead. Kihyun, squabble already forgotten, goes back to his position. Hyungwon ignores the side glance Minhyuk sneaks his way.

The thing is, they’re not wrong. Hyunwoo is...off...during dance practice. A spiteful part of Hyungwon takes it in distantly, maintaining his space away from him. Hyunwoo isn’t so much off rhythm as he is forgetting entire beats of choreography. It’s not like him, even on his worst days he doesn’t mess up nearly this badly. Hyungwon can tell he’s getting frustrated, can see it in the pity in the choreographer’s eyes when Hyunwoo missteps during his solo.

Hyungwon keeps his head down the entire time.

*

The thing is Shownu is the charismatic, composed, manly leader of Monsta X, who's sheer presence tends to draw attention.

Meanwhile, Hyunwoo is a clumsy, awkward, atypical straight guy in his twenties who can't just man up and ask for what he wants.

Hyungwon has no time or patience for either of them at the moment.

*

"Do you want to talk about what's going on between you and Hyunwoo-hyung?" Hyungwon keeps eating, pointedly slurps his ramen noodles with a blank expression. Minhyuk, unfortunately, attuned to years of his company, does not leave. Hyungwon should have known Minhyuk would bring it up eventually, the fact that he waited three days instead of just grilling him right after practice could be considered a minor miracle.

"Do you want to talk about what's going on between you and Kihyun?" Hyungwon returns, with a thoughtful chew. After all, Hyungwon is just as attuned to Minhyuk. Minhyuk scowls, tries to pinch his elbow over the table, Hyungwon glares. He’s not above throwing company property at Minhyuk, judging by Minhyuk’s returning glare, he’s the same. Kihyun pointedly coughs as he walks past, still loudly conversing with a manager about something or the other. The company canteen has improved since their debut but it’s not exactly soundproof, even if there’s barely anyone else there at such a late hour. Hyungwon’s pretty sure he saw Minhee inhaling some bibimbap earlier in the corner but he hasn’t said much to his dongsaeng besides congratulating him on making it into X1.

Hyungwon goes back to his late dinner/early breakfast, Minhyuk picks at a stray thread on his sweater that Hyungwon swears is _**HIS** _sweater that Minhyuk was supposed to return last year. There’s another moment of silence as Kihyun and their manager leave the canteen. Hyungwon moves onto slurping the rest of the broth from the bowl.

"Fine, touchy—I'm just offering sage relationship advice for my childhood best friend.” Minhyuk says because he can’t handle long periods of silence. Hyungwon lowers his bowl, tutting.

"—We met when we were twenty. Besides, I've had more boyfriends than you _**HAD**_." Hyungwon reminds him. Sure some of those boyfriends lasted about two days, but they still counted. He does well for himself, Minhyuk _**KNOWS** _he does.

"That's exactly why I'm offering _**YOU** _advice.” Minhyuk explains like he even understands what’s happening (he doesn’t) and like Hyungwon will even listen (he’s not going to). “None of my relationships have ended terribl—”

Hyungwon snorts, packing up his trash onto his tray, Minhyuk clicks his tongue.

“Ok, far less of mine have had bad breakups.” Minhyuk amends, impatiently gesturing with his hands to get to his point. “I know you and Hyunwoo-hyung have this weird thing where you flirt badly at each other but whatever you said to him really got to him last time and don’t even bother denying it, I know it bothers you too.”

Minhyuk does his best to give him a reassuring look, Hyungwon can’t help but snicker when Minhyuk immediately makes a funny face at him.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to talk about it, but if you need to—I am here.” Minhyuk says, sobering and reminding Hyungwon why they’ve been there for each other for over seven years. Hyungwon opens his pudding cup, offering up a spare spoon.

“Let me sort it out first—I’m not saying I’ll tell you about it right now, but I will eventually.” Hyungwon needs his space, Hyunwoo does too, no matter how mad Hyungwon is at him. Minhyuk takes the offered spoon and gives an exaggerated wink.

“Fine, only if you’ll do the same with me and Kihyun-ah.”

Hyungwon scoffs.

“You can have all you want to sort that out—I’m good with never hearing about it.”

“Screw you, I know you’re dying of curiosity.” Minhyuk scowls, even as he takes the first bite of Hyungwon’s pudding. He smirks around the spoon in his mouth. “If things go really well, I can’t wait for you and him to get in a fight while him and I are at the altar one day.”

Hyungwon has to applaud Minhyuk’s optimism, or at least, insane tenacity. Still, even if Kihyun drives Hyungwon crazy at times, far be it for him to dissuade the two of them from happiness. They’re his friends after all: “I’m already planning to insult both of you in my best man’s speech.”

*

Hyunwoo, not Shownu, is the one to approach Hyungwon in his awkward attempt at making peace. Hyungwon spots the difference instantly when Hyunwoo in another fucking glorious muscle tank (how can he still be so attractive when Hyungwon is just so angry at him) sets a can of beer in front of him without offering any explanation. Hyunwoo avoids his gaze, opening his beer to take a large fortifying gulp from—no awkward attempts at a lecture, no disappointed dad glances. Hyungwon considers the drink in front of him, then considers the fact that the dorms are once again mostly empty, and Hyunwoo’s sly brilliance of timing.

“Not going to drink it?” Hyunwoo asks after a beat, taking a seat across from him on the floor of their shared living room. Hyungwon, groggy from his impromptu nap on their new couch, smirks faintly. Hyunwoo sounds vaguely uncomfortable and it’s endearing--he does try to make amends when he’s messed up. He’s a good leader that way—it’s what Hyungwon likes about him. It’s why Hyungwon, not even that thirsty, pops the tab of the can open anyway and drinks.

Hyunwoo watches him diligently from across the coffee table (to this day none of them know where it’s actually from—just that it ties the room together and it is beloved), setting down his can. Hyungwon lowers his can, beer bubbling down his throat, fizzles down to his empty stomach. He waits, crossing his arms, ignoring the couch cushion creases imprinted on his skin and his cheeks.

“I owe you an explanation.” Hyunwoo declares after a moment, Hyungwon fights to keep his expression neutral. “I could have handled this better, I shouldn’t have been so rough with you, I should respect your boundaries and personal space.”

Hyungwon snorts, if Hyunwoo was going to apologize for being rough with Hyungwon now of all times, then clearly he misunderstood exactly why he was angry in the first place. Also, they were in Monsta X, he had no problems with boundaries and personal space—that’d been gone a long time ago. Hyungwon had no actual feelings on that matter at all.

“Is that what you think the problem is?” Hyungwon interjects, feeling faintly frustrated that even now of all times they were miscommunicating. “I don’t mind being manhandled by you.”

  
Hyunwoo stares at him from across the table, rubbing at the back of his neck—the biggest tell that he’s confused and is trying to figure out a solution as quick as he can that Hyungwon knows.

“I’m ok with the rough treatment, I like the rough treatment because it’s obvious that you only do it to me.” Hyungwon meant to come on strong with that one but the minute the words start to come out, he stumbles. Feelings are...they’re complicated for both of them. Hyungwon tries to push through regardless. His sanity is on the line here. “Don’t judge me, I like what I like. Hyunwoo-hyung, I’m mad at you because you’re obviously flirting with me but you won’t do anything about it. It’s so frustrating, I feel like I’m going crazy.”

Hyunwoo lips thin, eyes widening like it’s just hit him. Hyungwon can feel himself scowling.

“You better not say it’s because you didn’t notice till now.” He knows that Hyunwoo is better than that, knows that Hyunwoo has had time to think about it all by now. He knows that Hyunwoo wouldn’t do him the disservice of just dismissing everything between them like that. Hyungwon does not want to be proven wrong. Their leader may misread strangers but he knows them, knows Hyungwon.

“That’s—well, that’s not it exactly.” Hyunwoo admits cowed at Hyungwon’s chastisement. He opens his mouth then stops, obviously struggling. After a moment, he adds, “I didn’t think—I didn’t think I was so obvious.”

Hyungwon stares, it was somehow better and worse than what he was expecting.

“I was trying to get over you by treating you like a dongsaeng and I went overboard.” Hyunwoo continues like it all makes sense and Hyungwon can’t stop staring at him incredulously. “I overcompensated.”

“You don’t treat Changkyun and Jooheon like you treat me.” Hyungwon manages after a moment, trying and failing to follow Hyunwoo’s logic.

“I thought the quickest way to stop liking you was to act like everything was normal. It’s normal for guys to roughhouse so...that became normal.” Hyunwoo is mortified, registering his own insanity aloud with a grimace. Hyungwon doesn’t notice, catching onto the rest of what Hyunwoo just admitted.

“You’re saying I wasn’t interested in you but you never even asked me out.” Hyungwon interjects, uncrossing his arms, leaning forward on the coffee table. “I would have remembered you asking me out Hyunwoo-hyung. I was kind of expecting you to do it years ago.”

Hyunwoo looks away, shy. “I kept trying to impress you the first week we met but...you didn’t seem interested.”

Now it’s Hyungwon’s turn to stare back at him blankly.

“...You bragged about your past girlfriends to me.” He points out, peevishly.

“—They were all dancers and models. I was trying to let you know that I was open to dating dancers and models.” Hyunwoo clarifies like it’s the most obvious signal to Hyungwon.

Hyungwon feels a headache coming on. Only Hyunwoo, still awkward but definitely not as straight as he was expecting, only Hyunwoo on the one time he went for subtlety could have gotten it so wrong.

“Why didn’t you just ask me out.”

“I did.”

There’s a record scratching noise that echoes through Hyungwon’s ears. They may not talk much about No.Mercy, he may only remember a few things (panic, suspicion, a grim determination to survive with Minhyuk) but he definitely would have remembered that. Especially since he had been waiting on it the _**ENTIRE** _time.

“When.” Hyungwon is aware it comes out more direct than he wanted but this is Hyungwoo, direct was (usually) his forte. Hyungwon is starting to see that direct is the way they should have gone in the beginning anyway.

“...I asked you for dinner after the first taping.” Hyunwoo says, brow wrinkled in confusion, full lips almost pouting.

Oh.

Wait.

_**WAIT**_.

Hyungwon remembers vaguely, Hyunwoo approaching him about checking a Thai restaurant on the time, near the dorms. But Hyunwoo hadn’t pulled him aside, had just mentioned it casually as Hyungwon was leaving the practice room with the rest of the other trainees. He can’t even recall where the others were at the time, just that he had been tired, hungry, and a little confused as to why Hyunwoo was mentioning this restaurant so insistently when he was just as miserable and on edge as Hyungwon was. He had just chalked it up to Hyunwoo trying to casually scope out the competition.

“That was a date? I thought you just really wanted to go out to eat.”

“...I was talking to you—I kept saying your name over and over again so that you would understand I was only inviting you. I even mentioned they had non-spicy dishes.”

Alright so.

Maybe, maybe despite everything, this wasn’t just Hyunwoo’s fault.

“Hyung, you’re telling me that I’ve been waiting for you to act on your obvious attraction to me and you did but I missed it completely.” Hyungwon states, feeling that headache almost expands into a full-grown migraine. Almost. If he wasn’t aware of the distance between him and Hyunwoo, feels the air around them change completely, a different kind of tension sending sparks down his spine. He decides to roll with it, gaze challenging as he smirks. “So, what we do now?”

Hyunwoo has been silent this entire time, beer can abandoned next to Hyungwon’s. He shifts closer, not quite crowding Hyungwon, but making his presence felt. Hyungwon’s seen that look on his face before, he’s always wanted to be on the receiving end of it: it’s the perfect blend of Hyunwoo’s charisma and Shownu’s intensity.

“What do you want us to do now?” He needs Hyungwon to say it, which Hyungwon concedes is fair. It takes two people to participate in a relationship after all and all that. If anything, this whole debacle has taught him to just say what he wants from Hyunwoo first.

“I want to make up for lost time.”

*

They very quickly have to clarify one thing, which Hyungwon thought was obvious but isn’t about to leave up to chance.

Luckily, Hyunwoo already pushing him into the couch (and if Hyungwon gets a little thrill knowing how angry Kihyun would be if he knew they were defiling it after all his hard work cleaning then that’s his business) beats him to it.

“Hyungwon-ah, you like being treated rough.” It’s not a question, Hyunwoo’s pupils are blown as he says it. Hyungwon chuckles, breathless with adrenaline at the overlap of their thighs, at the feel of Hyunwoo’s hands sliding under his clothes, the twist of their legs together. He can feel Hyunwoo half-hard against him, is aware that if he wanted to, Hyunwoo could throw a thick thigh between Hyungwon’s legs and make him ride it to completion. Hyungwon bites his lip, aware that Hyunwoo is watching him do it.

“—Only by you. Besides, I’d let you know if you took it too far.”

“So, you like it?” Hyunwoo repeats, big hands pushing against Hyungwon’s chest—nothing but a steady pressure keeping him pinned. He has no idea how much Hyungwon likes it honestly, though Hyungwon is sure he will soon enough. Hyungwon shudders against him, enfolding long arms around the wide slant of Hyunwoo’s shoulders.

“I think we know I like it. Do you though?”

Hyunwoo stops moving, stops leaning down to nose at Hyungwon’s neck. He does seem to be thinking about it, with much more effort than the concentrated horniness that Hyungwon is operating on. After a beat, Hyunwoo admits, with far more seriousness than Hyungwon expected: “I don’t mind it. Something about you—”

“We’ve established what that _something _is—you want to touch me.” Hyungwon begins, only to let out a winded gasp when Hyunwoo aggressively shoves his leg between his thighs without warning. The promise of Hyunwoo manhandling him so casually shouldn’t get him so excited but Hyungwon is nothing if not honest with himself at least.

“I do like touching you.” Hyunwoo confirms, cocky now, especially in the face of Hyungwon’s enjoyment. It’s devastating how good it looks on him, especially when nudges Hyungwon’s dick through his pajama pants with his knee. Hyungwon bites back another sound, even as his hips move towards the pressure and heat of Hyunwoo’s thigh. “You look beautiful Hyungwon-ah, especially like this.”

“So keep touching me.”

Hyunwoo doesn’t need to be told twice.

*

“There’s something I’ve been wondering.” Hyungwon prompts, resting with his back to Hyunwoo’s full barrelled chest, half-heartedly surrendering his iced coffee as Hyunwoo hums in affirmation. Hyunwoo had been nodding off with his head in the crook of Hyungwon’s neck, the caffeine having little effect on him. They’re taking up the couch again because they can, freshly showered and yet so bone-deep exhausted they can’t do much besides sit around the living room. Hyungwon shakes his now half-full coffee cup in annoyance as Hyunwoo snickers.

Dating, it turns out, suits them. Which Hyungwon hadn’t ever really expected but is pleasantly surprised to find nonetheless. Months later, Hyungwon is starting to understand that while Hyunwoo was awkward when it came to flirting and the initial asking out, he actually was a good boyfriend (damn it, the ajummas had been _**RIGHT**_). Not that much had changed between them—Hyunwoo still teased him, Hyungwon still enjoyed it. Thankfully Hyunwoo acted on their sexual tension now instead of doing dumb avoidance things like throwing Hyungwon in a pool. At least when he did throw Hyungwon in pools now, he usually kissed and felt Hyungwon up in the said pools right after.

“Anyways Hyung,” Hyungwon continues, sliding the cup onto the coffee table, ignoring the smirks Kihyun and Minhyuk are giving him from where they’re lying tangled together, a lazy shoving match that quickly turned into them cuddling on the hardwood floor below. “You said ‘girlfriends’ before, am I your first boyfriend?”

“Why?” Hyunwoo rumbles, sounding more sleepy than alarmed by the question. He hasn’t shaved in a while, his facial hair scratches along Hyungwon’s neck in a way that excites him. If only Starship would let their fearless leader keep his five o'clock shadow. Hyungwon wants to feel the drag of it all over his legs later—he files that away for when they've got the dorm to themselves again. “Hard to believe?”

“Is that a ‘yes’ then?”

“Does it matter?” Hyunwoo asks, deliberately obtuse, knocking his head against Hyungwon’s with a tap. “But I guess, in a way you are—I never actually dated any of the guys before.”

It explains a lot really, even though Hyungwon also can’t help the weird sense of pride he gets at being Hyunwoo’s first official boyfriend ™ ™ ™.

“Ugh get a room Hyungs.” Changkyun interrupts from where he’s lying on top of Hoseok, pouting at them from where he’s got the side of his face pressed against Hoseok’s bare chest. It's kind of cute in a surreal way, Changkyun looks like he's melting in between Hoseok's pectorals—they're probably stuck together, skin on skin. Hoseok makes a noise of agreement, thick biceps wrapped around Changkyun’s smaller frame. Hyungwon doesn’t even know why they’re even there when the two of them clearly want privacy.

“Why won’t any of you leave.” Hyungwon scowls, more than a little irritated at the way the rest of them were killing the mood.

“It’s our dorm too jerk, you both don’t get the living room to yourselves just cause you’re dating. It’s not a couples-only zone.” Kihyun says, even though he is holding hands with Minhyuk like a big disgusting hypocrite. Changkyun and Hoseok also make loud affirming noises even though they are also big disgusting hypocrites. Hyungwon makes a clicking noise with his tongue.

The only person who had given them all space is Jooheon. He’d left for their shared room a while ago, they don’t have to strain hard enough to hear him half-cooing/half-yelling in his facetime with Jackson. (Hyunwoo had remarked with a sigh that Jaebum was definitely going to text about _**THAT** _later. Hyungwon doesn't know why, they're all used to the hysterics of the two dating. At least this time they weren't arguing in public, or worse making up in public. Starship and JYP always had their hands full with damage control when it came to them. ) 

“Want to go out for dinner later?” Hyungwon asks anyway, ignoring all the catcalls and jeering from the rest of the members on the floor. Hyunwoo blinks at him as he registers the suggestion, his eyes brightening just the littlest bit. “I’m open to suggestions though, where do you want to go?”

Hyunwoo’s face wrinkles into a smile, he slides his hands up from where they’re resting on Hyungwon’s thighs to take his hands instead: “How do you feel about Thai food?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading/commenting. I can't even begin to explain what happened here. I have so many wips for so many things and yet I don't even know.


End file.
